The Heroes of Tython: The Jedi Diaries
by Jacen Caedus
Summary: This anthology dramatizes the past missions of such Jedi as Jacen Caedus, Jacen and Jaina Solo, Luke Skywalker, Mara Jade, Corran Horn, and Ben Skywalker. In the end, the fate of a former Sith servant is revealed. . . .
1. Dramatis Personae

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

Here are the characters in this story:

 **Percy "Seaweed Brain" Jackson - Luke "Farmboy" Skywalker (age 16), Jedi demigod**

 **Annabeth Chase - Mara Jade (age 16), Jedi demigod**

 ** _Thalia Grace - Jaina Solo (age 12), Jedi demigod_**

 **Alabaster Torrington - Seff Hellin (age 16), rogue Jedi**

 ** _Amaltheia - Tampasi (immortal), bora_**

 **Argus - Jurokk (immortal), Jedi sentry**

 **Babette - Keto (immortal), Krath**

 **Bambi - Amanoa (immortal), Krath**

 **Brooke - Sannah (immortal), Melodie**

 **Buffy - Aleema (immortal), Krath**

 **Buford - Fiver (age unknown), astromech droid**

 **Burly Black - Wuher (age 45), bartender**

 **Cacus - Durga (immortal), thief**

 **Candy - Rain (immortal), Krath**

 **Zeus - Sekot (immortal), King of Tython (mention only)**

 **Kronos - Palpatine (immortal), Sith Emperor (mention only)**

 ** _Luke Castellan - Jacen (Solo) Caedus (age 14), Jedi demigod_**

 **Hermes - Yun-Shuno (immortal), goddess of thieves**

 **Demeter - Anima (immortal), goddess of fertility (mention only)**

 **Poseidon - Vader (immortal), King of Kamino (mention only)**

 **Dionysus "Mr. D" - Qel-Droma "Master Q" (immortal), god of wine (mention only)**

 **Chiron - Yoda (immortal), Jedi instructor**

 **Howard Claymore - Gilad Pellaeon (age 55), thanatologist**

 **George - Han (immortal), amphistaff**

 **Martha - Leia (immortal), amphistaff**

 ** _Halcyon "Hal" Green - Roan Shryne (age 60), Jedi demigod_**

 **Hecate - Morag (immortal), goddess of magic**

 **Jason Grace - Jacen Solo (age 15), Imperial demigod**

 **Lamia - S'ybll (immortal), monster**

 **Leo Valdez - Ben Skywalker (age 15), Jedi demigod**

 **Athena - Ashla (immortal), goddess of wisdom and war (mention only)**

 **Apollo - Yavin (immortal), god of prophecy**

 **Muffy - Eldon Ax (immortal), Krath**

 **Hephaestus - Yun-Ne'Shel (immortal), god of fire (mention only)**

 **Aphrodite - Yun-Q'aah (immortal), goddess of love (mention only)**

 **Piper McLean - Danni Quee (age 15), Jedi demigod**

 **Grover Underwood - Corran Horn (age 32), Corellian searcher**

 **Trixie - Teta (immortal), Krath**

 **Juniper - Mirax (age unknown), Melodie**

 **Hera - Shira (immortal), Queen of Tython (mention only)**

 **Gaea - Abeloth (immortal), mastermind (mention only)**

 **Festus - Falcon (age unknown), mechanical dragon**

 **Rhea - Yuuzhan'tar (immortal), Sith Lady (mention only)**

 **Janus - Darth Bane (immortal), god of choices (mention only)**

 **Thanatos - Xanatos (immortal), god of death (mention only)**

 ** _Locations_ :**

 **Camp Half-Blood - Jedi Praxeum (Big House - Jedi Temple)**

 **The Underworld - The Netherworld of the Force**

 **Olympus - Tython (mention only)**

 **New York - Coruscant (Long Island - Centax)**

 **Richmond, Virginia - Hyllyard City, Myrkr**

 **James River - Great Northern Forest (mention only)**

 **Manhattan - Galactic City**

 ** _Princess Andromeda_ \- _Anakin Solo_ (mention only)**

 ** _Argo II_ \- _Millennium Falcon_**

 ** _Species_ :**

 **Human - Human (Mortal - Mundane)**

 **Satyr - Corellian**

 **Olympian - Je'daii**

 **Titan - Sith**

 **Centaur - Chironian**

 **Celedon - Zeltron**

 **Drakon - Krayt dragon**

 **Dryad - Melodie**

 **Gigantes - Yuuzhan Vong (mention only)**

 **Lamia's species - Mind-witch**

 **Automaton - Droid**

 ** _Leucrotae - Gorgodon_**

 **Maenad - Krath**

 **Naiad - Melodie**

 **Mistform - Force phantom**

 ** _Goat - Bora_**

 **Giant - Hutt**

 **Protogenoi - Celestials (mention only)**


	2. The Journal of Jacen Caedus: Tampasi

**Disclaimer: I am not George Lucas or Rick Riordan.**

 _Enter Jacen Caedus._

 **Jacen.** _[aside]_ My name is Jacen. Honestly, I don't know if I'll be able to keep up with this journal. My life is pretty crazy. But I promised the old man I would try. After what happened today . . . well, I owe him. My hands are shaking as I sit here on guard duty. I can't get the horrible images out of my head. I've got a few hours until the girls wake up. Maybe if I write down the story, I'll be able to put it behind me. I should probably start with the bora.

 _Enter Jaina Solo._

For three days, Jaina and I have been following the bora across Myrkr. I'm not sure why. To me, the bora doesn't look like anything special. But Jaina is more agitated than I've ever seen her before. She's convinced the bora is some sort of sign from her father Sekot. Me? I would have left it alone. Jaina won't explain why she thought it was important. But she and I had been adventuring together long enough that I've learned to trust her judgment. So we followed the bora.

 _Jacen and Jaina arrive in Hyllyard City._

 _Enter Tampasi, a bora._

 **Jaina.** Hide.

 _Jaina pulls Jacen behind a bush._

 **Jacen.** _[to Jaina]_ It's just a bora. Why . . . ?

 **Jaina.** It's special, one of my father's sacred animals. Her name is Tampasi.

 **Jacen.** So you've seen this bora before?

 **Jaina.** _[nods]_ On Tatooine, the night I ran away. Tampasi led me off planet. And later, that night you and I met . . . she led me to you. _[sighs]_ Jacen . . . when Tampasi appears, something important is about to happen . . . something dangerous. She's like a warning from Sekot, or a guide.

 **Jacen.** To what?

 **Jaina.** I don't know. But look. _[indicates Tampasi]_ She's not disappearing this time. We must be close to wherever she's leading us. Come on. Let's try to talk to it.

 **Jacen.** First we hide from the bora. Now you want to talk to the bora?

 _Jaina drags Jacen toward Tampasi, whom she kneels before._

 **Jaina.** Tampasi?

 _Tampasi turns._

Tampasi. What do you want me to do? Did my father send you?

 _Tampasi glances at Jacen, who backs up._

 **Jacen.** Er, Jaina, you sure this bora is from your father.

 **Jaina.** She's immortal. When Sekot was a baby, his parent Yuuzhan'tar hid him in a cave . . .

 **Jacen.** Because Palpatine wanted to eat him?

 **Jaina.** _[nods]_ So this bora, Tampasi, looked after baby Sekot in his cradle. She nursed him.

 **Jacen.** On fizzade?

 **Jaina.** _[frowns]_ What?

 _Jacen indicates the bora._

 **Jacen.** The bora has five flavors plus an ice dispenser.

 _Tampasi utters in a strange language._

 **Jaina.** _[to Tampasi]_ It's okay. He didn't mean to insult you. Why have you led us here, Tampasi? Where do you want me to go?

 _Tampasi bumps into a bronzium statue, causing it to point in another direction._

 **Jacen.** _[to Jaina]_ What's that about?

 _Jacen and Jaina look in that direction, seeing the mansion of former Jedi Roan Shryne._

The bora wants us to go there?

 _Tampasi nods._

 **Jaina.** Thank you, Tampasi. I . . . I trust you.

 _Exit Tampasi._

 **Jacen.** You sure about this?

 **Jaina.** Tampasi leads me to good things. The last time she appeared, she led me to you.

 **Jacen.** _[sighs]_ Okay. Creepy mansion, here we come.

 _Exit all._


	3. The Journal of Jacen Caedus: Roan Shryne

**Disclaimer: I am not George Lucas or Rick Riordan.**

 _Enter Jacen and Jaina, on Myrkr._

 _Jacen and Jaina approach Shryne's mansion, only to discover it is locked._

 _Jaina knocks, but there is no answer._

 **Jaina.** Can't you do your thing?

 **Jacen.** I hate doing my thing.

 _Through the Force power of_ mechu-deru _, Jacen unlocks the door._

 **Jaina.** That is so astral.

 _Jacen and Jaina enter Shryne's mansion._

 _Jaina ignites the violet blade of her lightsaber. With no lightsaber, Jacen is left with only a club as a weapon._

 **Jacen.** Maybe this isn't such a good . . .

 _The door slams shut, and even Jacen cannot unseal the door._

The Force. We're trapped.

 _Jaina runs for the window, but becomes entangled in the drapes._

 **Jaina.** Jacen.

 _Jacen hits the drapes with his club and frees Jaina. When he pulls her back, he realizes that Jaina has been injured by the drapes._

 **Jacen.** Hold on. Hold on, Jaina. I've got it.

 _Jacen heals Jaina with bacta._

You're going to be fine. Just rest.

 **Jaina.** We . . . we can't . . . If all the windows are like that, and the door is locked . . .

 **Jacen.** We'll find another way out.

 _A gorgodon growls in the distance._

 **Jaina.** Er, Jacen . . .

 _Enter the gorgodon, a reptilian creature with grey fur, yellow eyes, and a blaster-proof hide._

 **Jacen.** The stairs are looking pretty good.

 **Shryne's Voice.** Yes, this way.

 **Jacen.** Who are you?

 **Shryne's Voice.** Hurry. Hurry. Hurry.

 _As the gorgodons advance around them, Jacen and Jaina flee upstairs._

 **Jaina.** Jacen . . .

 **Jacen.** Come on.

 **Jaina.** If it's another trap . . .

 **Jacen.** No choice.

 _Jacen and Jaina reach the upstairs hallway._

 **Shryne's Voice.** This way. Last door on the left. Hurry.

 _The gorgodons echo Shryne's voice._

 **Jaina.** We have to help him.

 **Jacen.** Yeah.

 _Jacen and Jaina enter Shryne's quarters._

 _Enter Roan Shryne, a brown-robed man with brown hair and blue eyes._

 _When Shryne speaks, his voice comes out of the gorgodons' mouths._

 **Shryne.** Hello. I'm very sorry.

 _Jacen and Jaina exchange looks._

 _Enter the gorgodons, walking outside Shryne's prison._

 **Jaina.** Er, Jacen . . .

 _Jaina indicates the gorgodons._

 **Jacen.** _[to Shryne]_ Who are you? What's that thing in the cage?

 **Shryne.** I am Roan Shryne. I'm terribly sorry. But you are in the cage. You've been lured here to die.

 _Jacen raises his club._

 **Jacen.** Y-you'd better explain. Why . . . ? How . . . ? What . . . ?

 **Shryne.** I understand your confusion. The creature you see here is a gorgodon. It has a talent for imitating sentient voices. That is how it lures its prey.

 **Jacen.** But . . . the voice is yours? I mean, the guy in the brown robes . . . I'm hearing what he wants to say?

 **Shryne.** That is correct. _[sighs]_ I am, as you say, the guy in the brown robes. Such is my curse. My name is Roan Shryne, son of Yavin.

 _Jaina steps back._

 **Jaina.** You're a Jedi? But you're so . . .

 **Shryne.** Old? Yes, I am.

 **Jacen.** How long have you been here?

 **Shryne.** _[shrugs]_ I have lost count. Decades? Because my father is the Je'daii of prophecy, I was born with the curse of seeing the future. Yavin warned me to keep quiet. He told me I should never share what I saw because it would anger the Je'daii. But many years ago . . . I simply had to speak. I met a young girl who was destined to die in an accident. I saved her life by telling her the future.

 **Jacen.** I don't get it. . . . You did something good. Why would that anger the Je'daii?

 **Shryne.** They don't like mortals meddling with fate. My father cursed me. He forced me to wear these clothes, the skin of Naga Sadow, who once guarded the Prophet of Yavin, as a reminder that I was not a seer. He took away my voice and locked me in this mansion, my boyhood home. Then the Je'daii set the gorgodons to guard me. Normally, gorgodons only mimic sentient speech. But these are linked to my thoughts. They speak for me. They keep me alive as bait, to lure other Jedi. It was Yavin's way of reminding me, forever, that my voice would only lead others to their doom.

 **Jacen.** You should fight back. You didn't deserve this. Break out. Kill the monsters. We'll help you.

 **Jaina.** He's right. That's Jacen, by the way. I'm Jaina. We've fought plenty of monsters. There has to be something we can do, Master Shryne.

 **Shryne.** Call me Roan. But you don't understand. You're not the first to come here. I'm afraid all the Jedi feel there's hope when they first arrive. Sometimes I try to help them. It never works. The windows are guarded by deadly drapes . . .

 **Jaina.** I noticed.

 **Shryne.** And the door is heavily enchanted. It will let you in, but not out.

 **Jacen.** We'll see about that.

 _Jacen makes a fruitless attempt to unlock the door with the Force._

 **Shryne.** I told you. None of us can leave. Fighting the monsters is hopeless. They can't be hurt by any metal known to mortal or god.

 _Shryne draws a vibroblade, which he uses to stab one of the gorgodons. It is to no avail._

You see?

 **Jaina.** So you just give up? You help the monsters lure us in and wait for them to kill us?

 _Shryne sheathes his vibroblade._

 **Shryne.** I'm so sorry, my dear. But I have little choice. I'm trapped here, too. If I don't cooperate, the monsters let me starve. The monsters could have killed you the moment you entered the house. But they use me to lure you upstairs. They allow me your company for a while. It eases my loneliness. And then . . . well, the monsters like to eat at sundown. Today, that will be at 1903. After you are gone, I . . . I subsist on whatever rations you carried.

 **Jacen.** You're as bad as the monsters.

 _Shryne winces._

 **Shryne.** You're right to hate me. But I can't save you. At sunset, those bars will rise. The monsters will drag you away and kill you. There is no escape.

 _One of the gorgodons devours an old piece of cortosis armor._

As you see, the monsters are remarkably strong.

 **Jaina.** Send them away. Roan, can you make them leave?

 **Shryne.** _[frowns]_ If I do that, we won't be able to talk. Besides, any escape strategy you can think of, someone else has already tried. There is no point in private talks.

 **Jaina.** Do they know what we're saying? I mean, do they just speak, or do they understand the words?

 _One of the gorgodons growls, then it imitates Jaina's voice._

 **Jaina's Voice.** Do they understand the words?

 **Shryne.** The creatures are intelligent, the way vornskrs are intelligent. They comprehend emotions and a few simple phrases. They can lure their prey by crying things like "help." But I'm not sure how much sentient speech they really understand. It doesn't matter. You can't fool them.

 **Jacen.** Send them away. You have a datapad. Type what you want to say. If we're going to die at sunset, I don't want those things staring at me all day.

 _Shryne hesitates, then glances at the gorgodons._

 _Exit the gorgodons._

 _Shryne glances at Jacen._

 **Jaina.** Jacen. Do you have a plan?

 **Jacen.** Not yet. But we'd better come up with one by sunset.

 _Exit all._


	4. The Journal of Jacen Caedus: Sacrifice

**Disclaimer: I am not George Lucas or Rick Riordan.**

 _Enter Jacen, Jaina, and Shryne, in the mansion._

 _To communicate, Shryne types into his datapad._

 **Shryne.** _[typing]_ You're welcome to read anything. Just please not my diary. It's personal.

 **Jacen.** No problem.

 _Jacen and Jaina pace around the room, searching for a plan._

 **Jaina.** _[angry]_ I don't understand. Why did Tampasi bring me here? Did the other Jedi come here because of the bora?

 _Shryne motions for Jacen and Jaina to come look at his datapad._

 **Shryne.** _[typing]_ What bora?

 **Jacen.** Tampasi, apparently a sacred animal of Sekot's, led us here. Jaina believed it was a sign from her father. Now we're not so sure.

 **Shryne.** _[typing]_ I've heard of Tampasi, but don't know why she would bring you here. The other Jedi were attracted to the mansion because of the treasure. I assumed you were, too.

 **Jaina.** Treasure?

 _Shryne rises to his feet, passes by items taken from fallen Jedi and a few aurodium ingots, and leads Jacen and Jaina over to an underground safe._

 **Jacen.** Can you open it?

 _Shryne shakes his head._

 **Jaina.** Do you know what's inside?

 _Shryne shakes his head._

 **Jacen.** It's trapped.

 _Shryne nods and moves his finger across his throat._

 _Jacen kneels down and places his hand on the safe. Reaching into the Force, he senses the mechanism within the safe._

This thing is bad news. Whatever's inside must be important.

 _Jaina kneels beside Jacen._

 **Jaina.** Jacen. This is why we're here. Sekot wanted me to find this.

 _Jacen looks at her skeptically._

 **Jacen.** _[sighs]_ You're going to ask me to open it, aren't you?

 **Jaina.** Can you?

 **Jacen.** _[hesitates]_ People have tried to open this before. There's a curse on the handle. I'm guessing whoever touches it gets burned to a pile of ashes.

 _Jacen glances at Shryne, who nods his confirmation._

 **Jaina.** _[to Jacen]_ Can you bypass the curse?

 **Jacen.** I think so. But it's the second trap I'm worried about.

 **Jaina.** The second trap?

 **Jacen.** Nobody's managed to trigger the combination. I know that because there's a poison canister ready to break as soon as you hit the third number. It's never been activated.

 _Shryne's eyes widen in shock._

I can try to disable it. But if I mess up, this whole room is going to fill with dioxis gas. We'll die.

 **Jaina.** _[swallows]_ I trust you. Just . . . don't mess up.

 **Jacen.** _[to Shryne]_ You could maybe hide in the sanisteam. Put some wet towels over your face. It might protect you.

 _Shryne shifts uncomfortably, but gestures his approval of the plan._

 _Using the Force power of_ mechu-deru _, Jacen unlocks the safe. Then he carefully pries the door open without activating the trap and removes the unbroken poison canister._

 _Shryne sighs with relief._

 _Jaina kisses Jacen on the cheek._

 **Jaina.** You are so good.

 _Jacen looks into the safe with disappointment._

 **Jacen.** That's it?

 _Jaina removes a personal energy shield, currently in the form of a bracelet. However, she cannot seem to activate it._

It should do something. If Sekot sent me here . . .

 _Shryne claps his hands and leads Jacen and Jaina over to the datapad._

 **Shryne.** _[typing]_ You're the ones. You actually got the treasure. I can't believe it. That safe has been sealed since before I was born. Yavin told me my curse would end when the owner of the treasure claimed it. If you're the owner . . .

 **Jaina.** Hold it. I've never seen this bracelet. How could I be the owner? And if your curse is supposed to end now, does that mean the monsters are gone?

 _The gorgodons can be heard in the distance, disproving that theory._

 **Jacen.** _[frowns]_ Do you have your voice back?

 _Shryne opens his mouth, but no sound comes out._

 **Jaina.** Maybe Yavin meant we're going to rescue you.

 **Shryne.** _[typing]_ Or maybe I die today.

 **Jacen.** Thank you, Master Cheerful. I thought you could tell the future. You don't know what will happen?

 **Shryne.** _[typing]_ I can't look. It's too dangerous. You can see what happened to me last time I tried to use my powers.

 **Jacen.** Sure. Don't take the risk. You might mess up this nice life you've got here.

 _Shryne sobs._

 _Jaina glares at Jacen._

 **Jaina.** It's okay, Roan. We're not giving up. This bracelet must be the answer. It's got to have a special power.

 **Shryne.** _[typing]_ It's chromium. Even if it turns into a weapon, the monsters can't be hurt by any metal.

 _Jaina glances at Jacen._

 **Jacen.** We'll have to find a different kind of weapon. Roan, let me borrow your datapad.

 _Shryne hands Jacen the datapad. As the Jedi looks at the datapad, he thinks of his parent Yun-Shuno._

Just once, cut me some slack. Show me there's an upside to being your son.

 **Jaina.** What, Jacen?

 **Jaina.** Nothing.

 _While Jacen fruitlessly searches through the datapad for help against the gorgodons, Jaina makes just as little progress trying to activate the personal energy shield._

 _Jacen and Jaina exchange looks, starting to lose hope._

 _Shryne holds out his hand for the datapad._

 **Jacen.** Go ahead.

 _Shryne takes the datapad._

 **Shryne.** _[typing]_ I'll try to read the future.

 **Jaina.** _[frowns]_ I thought you said that was too dangerous.

 **Shryne.** _[typing]_ It doesn't matter. Jacen is right. I'm a cowardly old man. But Yavin can't punish me any worse than he already has. Perhaps I'll see something that will help you. Jaina, give me your hands.

 _Jaina hesitates as Shryne turns toward her. When she finally places her hands in his, Shryne reaches into the greater depths of the Unifying Force. Then with a look of sympathy he turns back to the datapad and begins to type._

You are destined to survive today.

 **Jaina.** That's . . . that's good, right? Why do you look so sad?

 **Shryne.** _[typing]_ Someday soon, you will sacrifice yourself to save your friends. I see things that are . . . hard to describe. Years of solitude. You will stand tall and still, alive but sleeping. You will change once, and then change again. Your path will be sad and lonely. But someday you will find your family again.

 _Jaina clenches her fist._

 **Jaina.** _[angry]_ That doesn't make any sense. I'll sacrifice myself, but I'll live. Changing, sleeping? You call that a future? I . . . I don't even have a family. Just my mother, and there's no way I'm going back to her.

 **Shryne.** _[typing]_ I'm sorry. I don't control what I see. But I didn't mean your mother.

 _Thinking of her brother Jacen, Jaina takes a step back._

 **Jacen.** Jaina? Do you know what he's talking about?

 **Jaina.** _[untruthful]_ It's nothing. Forget it. Roan's precognitive abilities are rusty.

 **Jacen.** Roan. There's got to be more. You told us that Jaina will survive. How? Did you see anything about the bracelet? Or the bora? We need something that will help.

 _Shryne shakes his head sadly._

 **Shryne.** _[typing]_ I saw nothing about the bracelet. I'm sorry. I know a little about Tampasi, but I doubt it will help. The bora nursed Sekot when he was a baby. Later, Sekot slew her and used her skin to make his personal energy shield.

 **Jacen.** So Sekot killed his own mama bora. Typical god thing to do. _[to Jaina]_ Jaina. You know anything about the shield?

 **Jaina.** _[nods]_ Ashla put the head of Garowyn on the front of it and had the whole thing covered in Adegan crystal. She and Sekot took turns using it in battle. It would frighten away their enemies.

 _Shryne turns to Jacen, ready to read his future._

Don't, Jacen. The Je'daii were right. Roan's prophecies don't help anybody.

 _Jacen places his hands in Shryne's._

 _Shryne reaches into the Unifying Force, receiving a prophetic vision of Jacen's future. Sensing that Jacen would one day become the feared Darth Caedus, servant of the Emperor Palpatine, Shryne pulls his hands away in terror._

 **Jacen.** Okay. I'm guessing you didn't see anything good.

 _Shryne hesitates about what to say._

 **Shryne.** _[typing]_ Fire. I saw fire.

 **Jaina.** _[frowns]_ Fire? You mean today? Is that going to help us?

 _Shryne nods, but looks miserable._

 **Jacen.** There's more. What scared you so badly?

 _Shryne avoids Jacen's gaze, then types._

 **Shryne.** _[typing]_ Hard to be sure. Jacen, I also saw a sacrifice in your future. A choice. But also a betrayal.

 **Jaina.** _[dangerous]_ A betrayal. You mean someone betrays Jacen? Because Jacen would never betray anyone.

 **Shryne.** _[typing]_ His path is hard to see. But if he survives today, he will betray . . .

 _Jaina grabs the datapad._

 **Jaina.** Enough. You lure Jedi here, then you take away their hope with your horrible predictions? No wonder the others gave up, just like you gave up. You're pathetic.

 _Shryne glares at Jaina._

Go ahead. Take a swing, old man. You have any fire left?

 **Jacen.** Stop it.

 _Shryne backs off._

Fire. You mentioned fire.

 _Shryne nods._

 _Jacen's eyes slowly widen with realization._

 **Jaina.** What is it? I know that look. You're on to something.

 **Jacen.** Let me see the datapad.

 _Jacen takes the datapad and pulls up an article of thermal detonators._

 **Jaina.** Jacen. That would be perfect. But I thought that stuff was just a legend.

 **Jacen.** I don't know. If it's real, how do we make it? There's no recipe here.

 _Shryne points at his stacks of ancient Jedi texts._

 **Jaina.** Ancient history texts. Roan's right. A lot of those are really old. They probably have information that wouldn't be on the HoloNet.

 _Jacen, Jaina, and Shryne search through the ancient texts and holocrons. It is Jacen who discovers the right text._

 **Jacen.** This is it. The recipe for baradium.

 _Jacen looks around and notices all the ingredients are here: fire, bacta, alcohol, et cetera. However, there is one thing missing._

A catalyst. _[glances at Jaina]_ We need lightning.

 _Jaina's eyes grow wide._

 **Jaina.** Jacen. I can't. Last time . . .

 _Shryne drags Jacen and Jaina toward the datapad._

 **Shryne.** _[typing]_ You can summon lightning?

 **Jaina.** Sometimes. It's a Sekot thing. But I can't do it indoors. And even if we were outside, I'd have trouble controlling the strike. Last time, I almost killed Jacen.

 **Jacen.** It will be fine. I'll prepare the mixture. When it's ready, there's a power socket under the datapad. You can call down a lightning strike on the house and blast it through the electrical wiring.

 **Jaina.** And set the house on fire.

 **Shryne.** _[typing]_ You'll do that anyway if you succeed. You do understand how dangerous baradium is?

 **Jacen.** Yeah. It's highly explosive. Whatever it touches, it burns. You can't put it out with water, or a fire extinguisher, or anything else. But if we can make enough for a thermal detonator and throw it at the gorgodons . . .

 **Jaina.** They'll burn. _[glances at Shryne]_ Please tell me the monsters aren't immune to fire.

 **Shryne.** _[typing]_ I don't think so. But baradium will turn this room into an inferno. It will spread through the entire house in a matter of seconds.

 **Jacen.** Let's make the thermal detonator. Then we'll figure out the rest.

 _After Jaina and Shryne have helped him gather supplies, Jacen begins brewing the baradium over a heating plate. Once he has completed the project, Jacen moves the baradium into a canister, creating a thermal detonator. He only needs to ignite it._

There.

 _Jacen hands the thermal detonator to Jaina._

Can you zap it?

 **Jaina.** I'll try. I'll have to expose some wiring in the wall. And to summon the lightning, that will take a few minutes of concentration. You guys should probably step back, in case . . . you know, I explode or something."

 _Taking a hydrospanner, Jaina begins tinkering with the power socket._

 _As she works, Shryne scribbles something in his journal and hands it to Jacen._

 **Jacen.** _[reading]_ "Jacen. I want you to take this journal. It has my predictions, my notes about the future, my thoughts about where I went wrong. I think it might help you."

 _Jacen shakes his head._

Roan. This is yours. Keep it.

 _Shryne takes back the journal and writes._

 **Shryne.** _[writing]_ You have an important future. Your choices will change the galaxy. You can learn from my mistakes, continue the journal. It might help you with your decisions.

 **Jacen.** What decisions? What did you see that scared you so badly?

 **Shryne.** _[writing]_ I think I finally understand why I was cursed. Yavin was right. Sometimes the future really is better left a mystery.

 **Jacen.** Roan. Your father was a rodder. You didn't deserve . . .

 _Shryne taps the journal._

 **Shryne.** _[writing]_ Just promise me you'll keep up with the journal. If I'd started recording my thoughts earlier in my life, I might have avoided some stupid mistakes. And one more thing . . .

 _Shryne hands Jacen his vibroblade._

 **Jacen.** I can't. I mean, I appreciate it. But I'm more of a swordsman. And besides, you're coming with us. You'll need that weapon.

 _Shryne shakes his head and places the vibroblade in Jacen's hands._

 **Shryne.** _[writing]_ That vibroblade was a gift from the girl I saved. She promised me it would always protect its owner. A vibroblade doesn't have the power or reach of a lightsaber. But it can be an excellent weapon in the right hands. I'll feel better knowing you have it.

 _Shryne meets Jacen's head._

 **Jacen.** Don't. We can all make it out.

 **Shryne.** _[writing]_ We both know that's impossible. I can communicate with the gorgodons. I am the logical choice for bait. You and Jaina wait in the closet. I'll lure the monsters into the refresher. I'll buy you a few seconds to reach the exit panel before I set off the explosion. It's the only way you'll have time.

 **Jacen.** No.

 _Jacen reads Shryne's determination on his face._

 **Shryne.** _[writing]_ Promise.

 **Jacen.** Yeah. I promise.

 _With a wave of blue-white Force lightning, Jaina finishes the creation of the thermal detonator._

 **Jaina.** Someone order a thermal detonator?

 _The gate begins to rise as the gorgodons move in._

 **Jacen.** Jaina. Give Roan the thermal detonator.

 _Jaina looks back and forth between Jacen and Shryne._

 **Jaina.** But . . .

 **Jacen.** He has to. He's going to help us escape.

 _Realization dawns on Jaina's face._

 **Jaina.** Jacen, no.

 **Jacen.** There's no time. Come on.

 _Shryne takes the thermal detonator from Jaina. He smiles bravely at her, then nods at Jacen._

 _Jacen pockets Shryne's journal and the vibroblade, then he and Jaina move into the closet._

 _Enter the gorgodons._

 **Shryne.** In here. I've got them trapped in the refresher. Come on, you ugly beasts.

 _The gorgodons follow Shryne into the refresher._

 _Jacen takes Jaina's hand._

 **Jacen.** Now.

 _Jacen and Jaina run toward the closing gate. A single gorgodon notices them and starts to follow, but they keep running. Jacen wedges the gate door open with his club._

Go, go, go.

 _Jaina wriggles through the gate._

 **Shryne's Voice.** You know what this is, you nek battle dogs? This is your last meal.

 _The gorgodon pounces on Jacen, but Jaina manages to pull him through the gate - just as the door slams shut, snapping the club in two. Jacen and Jaina then run for the door._

For Yavin!

 _Unseen, Shryne tosses the thermal detonator at the gorgodons. It explodes._

 _As the mansion begins to erupt into flames, Jacen and Jaina run for the door. Just when they reach it, the gorgodon which followed them earlier pounces on Jacen._

 **Jaina.** Jacen.

 _Jaina ignites the violet blade of her lightsaber, stabbing it at the gorgodon. This only served to annoy gorgodon. However, at the last second she manages to activate the personal energy shield. She_ _thrusts it at the gorgodon, and it flees in terror._

 _Jaina pulls Jacen to his feet._

Hurry.

 _Jacen and Jaina leap out of the mansion just as it explodes, killing Roan Shryne and the gorgodons. As they watch the house burn away, it begins to dawn on them that Shryne just sacrificed his life to save them._

 _Jaina begins to sob._

He sacrificed himself. Why did he save us?

 _Jacen and Jaina do not have time to mourn Shryne long, for they hear sirens in the distance._

 **Jacen.** Come on.

 _Jacen and Jaina flee from the scene before the Myrkr authorities arrive._

 _Exit all._


	5. The Journal of Jacen Caedus: Mara Jade

**Disclaimer: I am not George Lucas or Rick Riordan.**

 _Enter Jacen and Jaina, on Myrkr._

 _Each Jedi move on, still somewhat shaken by Shryne's death. Glancing down at the journal in his hands, Jacen thinks back on Shryne's last words, completely misinterpreting their meaning._

 **Jacen.** _[aside]_ I promise, Roan. I will learn from your mistakes. If the Je'daii ever treat me that badly, I will fight back.

 _Finally, Jacen and Jaina pause in their tracks._

 **Jaina.** We could head to our old camp . . . in the Great Northern Forest. We've got plenty of supplies down there.

 _Jacen nods._

 _Sitting down, Jacen and Jaina eat, then the former senses a presence in the Force._

 **Jacen.** Someone's close by. Not a regular human.

 **Jaina.** _[tenses]_ How can you be sure?

 _Jacen and Jaina rise to their feet. Jacen sheathes Shryne's vibroblade, and Jaina activates her personal energy shield and ignites her violet-bladed lightsaber. They move toward the direction of the presence._

 _Jacen points in a nearby alleyway._

Are you sure?

 **Jacen.** Something down here. I sense it.

 _Jaina and Jacen draw their weapons and approach an alleyway slowly, ready to attack._

 _Enter Mara Jade, armed with a hydrospanner._

Bloah.

 _Jacen grabs hold of Mara's wrist._

 **Mara.** No more monsters. Go away.

 **Jacen.** It's okay. Jaina, put your shield up. You're scaring her.

 _Jaina deactivates her personal energy shield._

 **Jaina.** Hey, it's all right. We're not going to hurt you. I'm Jaina. This is Jacen.

 **Mara.** Monsters?

 **Jacen.** No. But we know all about monsters. We fight them, too.

 _Mara stops struggling._

 **Mara.** _[suspicious]_ You're like me?

 **Jacen.** Yeah. We're . . . well, it's hard to explain, but we're monster fighters. Where's your family?

 **Mara.** My family hates me. They don't want me. I ran away.

 **Jaina.** What's your name, kid?

 **Mara.** Mara.

 **Jacen.** _[smiles]_ Nice name. I tell you what, Mara — you're pretty fierce. We could use a fighter like you.

 **Mara.** _[eyes widen]_ You could?

 **Jacen.** Oh, yes.

 _Jacen hands Mara Shryne's vibroblade._

How'd you like a real monster-slaying weapon? This is Adegan crystal. It works a lot better than a hydrospanner. Vibroblades are only for the bravest and quickest fighters. They don't have the reach or power of a lightsaber. But they're easy to conceal, and they can find weak spots in your enemy's armor. It takes a clever warrior to use a vibroblade. I have a feeling you're pretty clever.

 **Mara.** I am.

 **Jaina.** _[grins]_ We'd better get going, Mara. We have a safe house in the Great Northern Forest. We'll get you some clothes and food.

 **Mara.** You're . . . you're not going to take me back to my family? Promise?

 **Jacen.** You're part of our family now. And I promise I won't let anything hurt you. I'm not going to fail you like our families did us. Deal?

 **Mara.** Deal.

 **Jaina.** Now, come on. We can't stay put for long.

 _Jacen, Jaina, and Mara head off for the Great Northern Forest._

 _Exit all._


	6. The Staff of Yun-Shuno: The Theft

**Disclaimer: I am not George Lucas or Rick Riordan.**

 _Enter Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade, in Monument Plaza on Coruscant._

 **Mara.** You forgot, didn't you?

 _Luke stares at her blankly._

 _Mara rolls her eyes._

Luke. Today is the eighteenth of September. What happened exactly one month ago?

 **Luke.** It was my naming day.

 **Mara.** Our first kiss, Farmboy. It's our one-month anniversary.

 **Luke.** Well, yeah. _[smiles]_ That's why we're having this great picnic, right?

 **Mara.** Luke. I love the picnic. Really. But you promised to take me out for a special dinner tonight. Remember? It's not that I expect it, but you said you had something planned. So . . .

 **Luke.** Well . . .

 _Yun-Shuno's coralskipper lands in the middle of Monument Park._

Oh, good. We've got mail.

 **Mara.** What?

 _Enter Yun-Shuno, who motions for Luke to approach._

 **Luke.** Damn. We'd better see what he wants.

 _Luke and Mara approach Yun-Shuno._

Hey.

 _Yun-Shuno looks around warily._

 **Yun-Shuno.** I didn't know the girl would be here. She'll have to swear to keep her mouth shut.

 **Mara.** The girl can hear you. And before I swear to anything, maybe you'd better tell us what's wrong.

 **Yun-Shuno.** I mean it, girl. If word gets back to Ashla, she'll never stop teasing me. She already thinks she's so much cleverer than I am.

 **Mara.** She is.

 **Yun-Shuno.** _[glares at Mara]_ Promise. Before I explain the problem, both of you must promise to keep silent.

 _Suddenly, Luke notices what is missing._

 **Luke.** Where's your amphistaff?

 _Yun-Shuno's eyes twitch._

 **Mara.** Oh, stang. You lost your amphistaff?

 **Yun-Shuno.** I didn't lose it. It was stolen. And I wasn't asking for your help, girl.

 **Mara.** Fine. Solve your own problem. Come on, Luke. Let's get out of here.

 _Luke steps between Mara and Yun-Shuno._

 **Luke.** Mara. Tell you what. This sounds important. Let me hear him out, and I'll meet you back at the picnic blanket, okay?

 _Mara glares at Luke, who grabs Yun-Shuno's arm._

Let's step into your office.

 _Luke and Yun-Shuno board the coralskipper._

 _Exit Mara._

So what happened?

 **Yun-Shuno.** I only left them alone for a minute.

 **Luke.** Them . . . Oh, Han and Leia?

 _Yun-Shuno nods._

 **Yun-Shuno.** I made a stupid mistake. I was late with a delivery. I stopped at Ambria and was delivering a box of doormats to Bane . . .

 **Luke.** Darth Bane, god of choices.

 **Yun-Shuno.** Yes, yes. He works there. Imperial HoloVision.

 **Luke.** Say what?

 **Yun-Shuno.** _[rolls her eyes]_ Surely you've seen the HoloNet lately. It's clear they don't know whether they're coming or going. That's because Bane is in charge of programming. He loves ordering new shows and canceling them after two episodes. God of beginnings and endings, after all. Anyway, I was bringing him some Force-sensitive doormats, and I was double-parked . . .

 **Luke.** You have to worry about double-parking?

 **Yun-Shuno.** Will you let me tell the story?

 **Luke.** Sorry.

 **Yun-Shuno.** So I left my amphistaff on the dashboard and ran inside with the box. Then I realized I needed to have Bane sign for the delivery, so I ran back to the skip . . .

 **Luke.** And the amphistaff was gone.

 **Yun-Shuno.** _[nods]_ If that ugly brute has harmed my snakes, I swear by the Font of Power . . .

 **Luke.** Hold on. You know who took the staff?

 **Yun-Shuno.** _[snorts]_ Of course. I checked the security holocams in the area. I talked with the Melodies. The thief was clearly Durga.

 **Luke.** Durga. Good old Durga. I should probably know who that is . . .

 **Yun-Shuno.** Oh, he's a Hutt. A small Hutt, not one of the big ones.

 **Luke.** A small Hutt.

 **Yun-Shuno.** Yes. Maybe three meters tall.

 **Luke.** _[sarcastic]_ Tiny, then.

 **Yun-Shuno.** He's a well-known thief. Stole Yavin's cattle once.

 **Luke.** I thought you stole Yavin's cattle.

 **Yun-Shuno.** Well, yes. But I did it first, and with much more style. At any rate, Durga is always stealing things from the Je'daii. Very annoying. He used to hide out in a cave on Bastion, where the Galactic Empire was founded. Nowadays, he's in Galactic City. Underground somewhere, I'm sure.

 **Luke.** _[sarcastic]_ Now you're going to explain to me why you, an all-powerful Je'daii, can't just go get your staff back yourself, and why you need me, a sixteen-year-old kid, to do it for you.

 **Yun-Shuno.** Luke. That almost sounded like sarcasm. You know very well the Je'daii can't go around busting heads and ripping up mortal cities looking for our lost items. If we did that, Coruscant would be destroyed every time Yun-Q'aah lost her hairbrush, and believe me, that happens a lot. We need Jedi for that sort of errand.

 **Luke.** Uh-huh. And if you went looking for the staff yourself, it might be a little embarrassing.

 **Yun-Shuno.** All right, yes. The other Je'daii would certainly take notice. Me, the god of thieves, being stolen from. And my amphistaff, no less, symbol of my power. I'd be ridiculed for centuries. The idea is too horrible. I need this resolved quickly and quietly before I become the laughingstock of Tython.

 **Luke.** So . . . you want us to find this Hutt, get back your amphistaff, and return it to you. Quietly.

 **Yun-Shuno.** _[smirks]_ What a fine offer. Thank you. And I'll need it before seventeen hundred hours this evening so I can finish my deliveries. The amphistaff serves as my signature pad, my navicomp, my comlink, my identichip . . . really, I can't do a thing without it.

 **Luke.** By seventeen hundred hours. Can you be more specific about where Durga is?

 **Yun-Shuno.** _[shrugs]_ I'm sure you can figure that out. And just a warning: Durga breathes fire.

 **Luke.** Naturally.

 **Yun-Shuno.** And do be mindful of the amphistaff. The tip can turn people to stone. I had to do that once with this loose-lipped Kubaz named Garindan . . . But I'm sure you'll be careful. And of course you'll keep this as our little secret.

 _Yun-Shuno smiles._

 **Luke.** _[swallows nervously]_ Of course.

 **Yun-Shuno.** You'll do it, then?

 **Luke.** How about we trade favors? I help you with your embarrassing situation. You help me with mine.

 **Yun-Shuno.** _[raises an eyebrow]_ What did you have in mind?

 **Luke.** You're the Je'daii of travel, right?

 **Yun-Shuno.** Of course.

 _Luke steps forward and explains what he wants in reward, something that could help him in his relationship with Mara._

 _Exit all._


	7. The Staff of Yun-Shuno: Find Durga

**Disclaimer: I am not George Lucas or Rick Riordan.**

 _Enter Luke and Mara, in Monument Plaza on Coruscant._

 **Mara.** Well?

 **Luke.** Good news. We've got to recover the amphistaff from Durga, a Hutt who can apparently breathe fire.

 **Mara.** Why is tracking down a fire-breathing Hutt good news? And why do I want to help out Yun-Shuno?

 **Luke.** She's not so bad. Besides, two innocent snakes are in trouble. Han and Leia must be terrified . . .

 **Mara.** Is this an elaborate joke? Tell me you planned this with Yun-Shuno, and we're actually going to a surprise party for our anniversary.

 **Luke.** Er, well, no. But afterward, I promise . . .

 **Mara.** You're cute and you're sweet, Luke. But please, no more promises. Let's just find this Hutt.

 _Mara takes out her HoloNet shield._

 **Luke.** That thing only shows aerial images, right? Durga is supposed to be underground.

 **Mara.** _[shrugs]_ Worth a try. Shield, show me the location of Durga the Hutt.

 _Durga's lair, located in the Alien Protection Zone of Coruscant, materializes on the vidscreen._

 **Luke.** That's the Invisible Sector, in downtown Galactic City.

 **Mara.** Yeah. But where's the Hutt?

 _The vidscreen zooms in on an underground sewer system, where Durga's lair is located._

 **Luke.** Why would GAS seal off a hole in the street?

 **Mara.** I remember this. It was on the news yesterday.

 **Luke.** I don't watch the news.

 **Mara.** A construction worker got hurt. Some freak accident way below the surface. They were digging a new service tunnel or something, and a fire broke out.

 **Luke.** A fire. As in, maybe a fire-breathing Hutt?

 **Mara.** That would make sense. The mundane wouldn't understand what was happening. The Force would obscure what they really saw. They'd think the Hutt was just like, I don't know, a gas explosion or something.

 **Luke.** So let's catch a airtaxi.

 **Mara.** _[sighs]_ First sunny day in weeks, and my boyfriend wants to take me to a dangerous cave to fight a fire-breathing Hutt.

 **Luke.** You're astral.

 **Mara.** I know. You'd better have something good planned for dinner.

 _Exit all._


End file.
